Vehicles used in law enforcement, rescue or military operations historically have been manufactured to perform in a specific role, limiting the capabilities of the vehicle to those addressing the requirements of that role. Tanks for example, are used offensively to attack enemies and advance position in the field. They are built with features that allow them to advance with fortitude through a hostile environment consisting of unfriendly weapon fire and difficult terrain. Tanks and other offensive vehicles have features such as gun ports, missile launcher and heavy armor protection. Tanks are specifically built on specialized platforms and have limited access entry locations and have limited area inside the body for transporting personnel other than the vehicle crew. Their role does not allow the tank to take on or easily perform other functions such as those required of a personnel carrier or a rescue vehicle.
Tanks and other specialized equipment require a support team consisting of highly trained technicians to maintain and service the vehicle. Specialized support equipment and tools are required to keep the vehicle operational. The costs associated with this support infrastructure are significant.
In contrast to tanks and the like, rescue vehicles need to be able to accommodate the transport of a crew from one location to another in order to facilitate the recovery of injured persons. Large open areas are required inside the vehicle in order to expeditiously move people and equipment from inside to outside the vehicle. Features such as large doors and flat level surfaces, suitable to fit one or several stretchers, are necessary for the easy movement of injured people into and out of the vehicle. Vehicles used in this role are not typically used in offensive operations but as backup support vehicles to follow offensive vehicles and recover casualties. The nature of the role the rescue vehicle performs, precludes the use of features such as gun ports, exterior mounted handholds, heavy armor, and escape or weapon station hatches. Rescue vehicles may be made on production truck bodies without the need for special modification beyond the rear compartment requirements. Rescue vehicles do not have full armor and do not have provisions for self-defense or use in standalone offensive applications.
It is the intent of this invention to provide an enhanced vehicle which integrates and extends the capabilities from these diverse vehicles into a common platform in order to fulfill several needs simultaneously. A police force has these multi-function requirements yet cannot usually afford to have many different highly specialized vehicles at their disposal. The related dedicated technical staff and infrastructure required to maintain highly specialized vehicles cannot be supported under civilian budgetary constraints.
The escalation of terrorism and violent activities in urban, suburban, and rural areas, have stressed the capabilities of police forces. The complex nature of hostage and under-fire situations have developed a new need for a vehicle which can penetrate a hostile environment and be used offensively to fire upon the enemy if required. This vehicle may alternatively be used to defensively hold a position at a location under attack then be utilized as a rescue vehicle to perform a rescue while under weapon fire, where it could be placed between the source of fire and the injured party to rescue the injured. The vehicle must therefore, be able to respond under any circumstance and suffer little or no damage.
In order to address the various needs of a police force with a limited budget, a production civilian vehicle having off road capabilities and meeting the requirements of several different roles simultaneously is desired. The preferred vehicle would be based on a production platform, where the services and skills to maintain the vehicle would be available "from the dealer", and the tools required to repair the vehicle would be commonly available. Modifications to the vehicle to alter the functional capabilities to support one or several roles simultaneously could then be applied. The vehicle should be street legal while being fully armored and have features for offensive and defensive roles.